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_____________________________________ Hello! And congratulations on your engagement! Now let me guess. You're wondering: "Where do we find a good wedding officiant to perform our wedding ceremony?" The yellow pages? Ugh. Referral from the wedding site? Well, that's an improvement, but you still don't know anything about the person you're calling. On your wedding day, when you're standing before family and friends, facing each other for the most important event in your lives, you WILL be nervous! At that moment, the wedding officiant you want is someone you know and who knows you; someone you trust and feel good about. My name is Rev. Charles W. (Chuck) Laird. I'm a genuine, ordained minister -- and a friend -- with 17 years experience officiating wedding ceremonies in Southern California and other states. I enjoy people and to officiate wedding ceremonies-- the magic, the romance, the tears of joy, the laughter, the life, the power of the moment. Most of all, the celebration of love. Your wedding ceremony is the most powerful and important event in your life. To be the entrusted wedding officiant of such an occasion is both exhilarating and humbling. I WOULD BE HONORED to be your wedding officiant -- the one who pronounces you husband and wife at your wedding ceremony ! It would be my high privilege to introduce you to your adoring family and friends following that memorable wedding ceremony kiss! As a wedding officiant your wedding is something I take very seriously -- whether it's a gala event in the grandest resort hotel or a simple, private 10-minute affair in my own back yard. Making your wedding ceremony everything you want -- that's all the matters. After all IT'S YOUR WEDDING! YOU are my highest priority. When helping you design your wedding ceremony,
I enjoy getting to know you and letting you get to know me. I like to
talk about my four kids, about playing at Disneyland (a favorite place!),
most of all about my beautiful wife Jeanette and how head over heels
in love I am with her still after 25 years! It's fun to hear your stories
-- how you met, how the romance kicked up, your hopes and dreams, your
values. Getting to know your families. We You want your wedding minister to know you, connect with you, and care about you. Above all, you want a wedding officiant you can trust implicitly. Because the wedding ceremony is such a powerful and deeply personal event. When you and your fiance are in front of all your family and friends, standing face to face and gazing only into each other's eyes, about to share the most powerful and intimate vows you will ever share, you are experiencing a moment of matchless emotion, sublime tenderness and supreme vulnerability (Can you feel it? If so, then we're already connecting!). In such a sacred moment, the wedding officiant can make or break your wedding. It requires a great deal of assurance to entrust such a LIFE MOMENT to a wedding officiant who feels like a stranger. In fact, you won't. That's why I've cut back on the number of wedding ceremonies I officiate so I can focus more time and care on each couple and their wedding ceremony. My goal is to earn your assurance as YOUR wedding minister. Then you and your fiance can truly let go, relax, embrace all the feelings and emotions of the most important event of your lives, and savor every precious moment of your wedding ceremony. As the Santa Barbara-Los Angeles wedding officiant for 1st Choice Weddings, I officiate both religious and non-religious ceremonies in a variety of Southern California settings -- from Santa Barbara to Malibu; from Hollywood to Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village; Ventura / Oxnard to Ojai; from chapels, beaches, backyards, and living rooms to elegant five-star resort hotels. I understand your position. You don't know me. You want to be sure you'll be happy with your choice. I would feel the same way. So I've decided that if FOR ANY REASON you're not satisfied with my services, you get your money back! That is, either you LOVE your ceremony -- or YOU PAY NOTHING! Okay? Now if you still aren't sure or feel hesitant, I have an idea. Why not just pick up the phone and dial 1-866-FCWEDDING (329-3334) -- it's a FREE call! --and ask for me (Chuck or Charles -- I go by both). You don't even have to give me your name if you don't want. ! JUST SAY THIS: "Hello, I don't want to tell you who I am because I don't feel like being pressured. But I'm planning on getting married in a few months, can I ask you a question?" I'll try to answer any questions you might have. I have also designed this website to help you with ALL your wedding planning and ceremony preparations. Take a look at several wedding vows in Sample Wedding Vows. There are so many questions to think about -- questions about wedding ceremonies, the marriage license, other services, etc. My Question & Answers page has a lot of important, practical information. There's a page of helpful resources. "What about writing our own wedding vows?" In a recent newsletter I wrote an article you might want to take a look at. CLICK HERE for article. We have just added one of the most attractive and easy-to navigate directories you'll find on the entire web with valuable information and links to other wedding professionals here in the Santa Barbara to Los Angeles area and elsewhere (Wedding Links). Because I have worked with a great many other wedding vendors here in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Malibu, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and elsewhere, I can tell you there are some absolutely fabulous professionals who are an inspiration to work with and who do great work. I have highlighted these outstanding wedding vendors for you in the directory (NOTE: I was not paid, nor did I even consult with them ahead of time. This is for you, not them and certainly not me). |
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Wedding Minister PACKAGES AND RATES 1st Choice Weddings recently added an associate that I personally trained and mentored in every aspect of wedding officiant ministry. So we are now able to offer you a broader range of wedding minister options available based on your own particular priorities, needs, and available resources. All wedding minister packages come with our money-back guarantee for your own quality assurance! Simple, same day backyard weddings begin at $197 (certain restrictions apply). Here are the fees for conducting wedding ceremonies for any location in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, or Ventura: 1. Last Minute or Weekday (M-Th) Special $197 plus mileage* (if wedding is within next two weeks) Description: Beautiful, personalized wedding ceremony. Features:
(add $75 plus mileage to officiate separate day rehearsal) 2. 1st Choice Wedding $397 plus mileage* (Most popular -- the kind of service I describe on this website) Description: Beautiful wedding ceremony, day-of-wedding personal/pastoral support, and wedding ceremony coordination with musicians, DJs, photographers, florists, videographers, and wedding party (as necessary) led by someone you know and who knows you. For ASSURANCE and PEACE OF MIND - My personal investment in YOU! Features:
(add $75 plus mileage to officiate separate day rehearsal) 3. PREMIER Package $547 plus mileage* (Complete Ministry Package plus EXCLUSIVE weekend support/care) Description: Beautiful wedding ceremony, day-of-wedding personal/pastoral support, and ceremony coordination with musicians, DJs, photographers, florists, videographers, and wedding party (as necessary) led by someone you and your whole family know and trust. Includes pre-marital counseling and wedding rehearsal. For ASSURANCE and PEACE OF MIND for YOU and Your Family
* no mileage expense for first 25 miles; .40 cents a mile RT thereafter DEPOSIT for all weddings: A minimum $199 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your date/time. ONLINE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT AVAILABLE!!! You may book your wedding date/time online! ALL major credit cards accepted! CLICK HERE to pay for your deposit online (secure server)
As an option, yes -- and in YOUR OWN HOME! That's right, I come to your home (or you may come to mine) for two one-hour Introductory sessions of my Successful Marriage Tooling course. Many couples are more relaxed in their own living rooms (and it can save on babysitters). You and your fiance complete two different inventories/response sheets. From these we talk about perceptions, personalities, habits of successful relationships, healthy marriage/communication skills, and whatever else emerges to better equip you for a successful, healthy marriage. The cost of the two Introductory sessions is only $147 plus mileage (you save $51!) which includes the written tools for you to keep. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Because the sessions are SO helpful, engaging, and enjoyable (especially for me!), it is not unusual to run overtime. ALL OVERTIME IS FREE! I don't want you worrying about the money when we're talking about things a lot more important. Further help is available upon request. My rate for pre-marital, marriage, individual, and family pastoral counseling is $99 an hour (less for coaching clients -- see www.chucklaird.com). Incidently, early marriage coaching is one of the wisest investments a couple (or parents) can ever make. People go to college, sometimes post-graduate school, to learn enough just to get an entry-level job. But where do people go to gain understanding, training, and experience in successful relationships? Yet most folks I know say their marriage and/or family is more important to them than their work. That's why marriage coaching is such a wise investment. Marriages CHANGE -- that's fact of life. The first five years are the most formative when the excitement and intensity of "young love" gradually and imperceptively gives way to whatever kind of marriage the couple has created. That's where Jeanette and I come in. We not only bring professional training, we have first-hand experience (I'm delighted to say!) of how to build a fantastic, unspeakably happy marriage! We know what it takes and we've done it (and continue to). We help couples (newlyweds or otherwise) develop the kinds of healthy personal and relational skills, habits, and experiences that form the nucleus for lasting marriages. It can be so incredible! That's what we want for our couples (see www.chucklaird.com for more information). Do you perform Renewal of Vows ceremonies? Yes. I also do dedications and memorial services. Are you actually a minister and where did you get your credentials? Indeed , I am. I received my Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, one of the most prestigious and respected seminaries in North America. My post-graduate Master of Divinity degree is from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. Both seminaries are fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. I am duly authorized to perform weddings in any state or Canadian province. I was ordained in 1989 by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) which holds my ecclesiastical credentials. What is the process for booking the wedding ceremony and getting ready? What are the steps? You may contact me through this web page or by phone (TOLL FREE 1-866-329-3334). If you like, I will then contact you -- usually by phone -- to set up a time to meet in person (if practical), either in your own home or site of your choosing. At this meeting we get to know each other, go over the ceremony, and discuss any questions or concerns you might have. Or if the phone feels too threatening (that's the LAST thing I want you to feel!!), complete the easy form at the bottom of this page to receive more information or to inquire about available dates. When you're finished, click the "Submit" button. I promise to respond within 24 hours. Be sure and include your e-mail address! Click HERE TO RESERVE YOUR WEDDING now. I would LOVE to help you create the wedding day of your dreams! It would be an honor to be your friend and -- as both friend and minister -- to perform your ceremony. And remember, you'll love your ceremony or it's FREE!! You have nothing to lose! Please don't put off calling if you're at all interested. There's NOTHING more difficult or heartbreaking than having to tell a bride her date is no longer available (I don't even want to THINK about that!). Best wishes and, again, congratulations on your engagement!! Sincerely, Rev. Dr. Charles W. Laird, |
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Wedding Ceremony Clergy
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